Part of the problem is that testing is expensive, so it is not done very often. My solution would be regular sampling with random and targeted testing. These guys have to show up at the gym to train, four times a week they could fill a cup. As a fighter you would have no way of knowing whether a particular sample is going to be tested or just stored until a week after your next fight. The only way to know you’re safe would be to stay clean.

Part of the problem is that testing is expensive, so it is not done very often. My solution would be regular sampling with random and targeted testing. These guys have to show up at the gym to train, four times a week they could fill a cup. As a fighter you would have no way of knowing whether a particular sample is going to be tested or just stored until a week after your next fight. The only way to know you’re safe would be to stay clean.

That's an interesting idea, Shrek. I've never heard a solution like that & it sounds like it has some good upsides. The one flaw that springs to mind is how do you make sure they’re pissing like they should? I mean, are you just going to have a commission rep at every gym to make sure that a fighter is peeing daily & not getting a buddy to pee for him?

That's an interesting idea, Shrek. I've never heard a solution like that & it sounds like it has some good upsides. The one flaw that springs to mind is how do you make sure they’re pissing like they should? I mean, are you just going to have a commission rep at every gym to make sure that a fighter is peeing daily & not getting a buddy to pee for him?

This kind of thing is often done in other industries. The commissions don’t need one of their people at the gym every time, they can train a local technician to monitor the sampling and then conduct regular audits to make sure the protocol is being adhered to. A single official could oversee the sampling of dozens of gyms and hundreds of fighters.

This might be too burdensome for smaller gyms, and PEDs might be less of an issue in the minor leagues, but at the UFC level there should be no problem. If a house shows a pattern of trying to game the system they would stand a chance of having their certification pulled, this would provide an incentive for everyone to help everyone else stay kosher.